On the evening of July 8th, Mark Orsillo lost not only his home due to a volatile wildfire but one of his most prized possessions – his movie collection.
Mark, who is currently 34-years-old, has Down Syndrome – a genetic disorder which causes developmental and cognitive delays.
He lived with both of his parents, Vicki and Steve Orsillo, in their Oroville, California home (which was built by Mark’s father) for 27 years before their house ultimately joined the over 100 properties destroyed in the disaster. With only just 20 minutes to spare, the Orsillo family grabbed just the basic essentials that were in reach before watching their belongings, and their entire life, go up in flames.
Unfortunately, out of the 300 movies, only 20 were saved.
In an effort to console her brother, Danielle (Mark’s sister) sought out her personal Facebook page to ask her close friends and family if they could somehow contribute to Mark’s collection and the feedback that she received was shocking.
The response was ethereal. In only a course of a few hours, the movies started rolling in. Strangers from all around the country responded to Danielle’s post. Hundreds of DVD’s and tapes flooded their local church in which Mark and Danielle’s parents serve as pastors. The surprise Mark received was heartwarming to say the least:
“In the next seven to eight months, when they’re rebuilding, and he’s living in an RV, he’s going to be able to watch his movies,” Danielle disclosed to ABC news.
Mark’s father Steve, plans to start building their new home as soon as he can. Until then, they are openly accepting donations to help keep themselves on their feet due to the repercussions of the Wildfire.
If you would like to donate, please do so here.
If you have any movies you believe would be a great addition to Mark’s new collection, please send them to:
2656 Ft Wayne St.
Oroville, CA 95966